Don't be fooled by the low opus numbers on these Sonatas, they
are both mature and sophisticated works, even if they are amongst
the composer's earliest. The attitude towards Beethoven that
underpins Brahms' symphonies is already very much in evidence
here, and the music gives us a picture of a composer intent
on continuing where his hero left off. The links to Beethoven's
middle and late sonatas are everywhere apparent, occasionally
verging on pastiche. At the opening of the second movement of
the Third Sonata, you could be forgiven for thinking you are
listening to the Pathétique. But there is also a muscularity
about this music that is distinctively Brahms: densely-voiced
chords hammered out and fully exploiting the dramatic potential
of the more powerful instruments available by the mid-19th
century.

So far as I can tell about the history of these recordings -
there is no mention of it on the box - they are reissues of
Denon releases from the late 1980s. Like Brahms himself, Hélène
Grimaud evidently had a precocious talent, producing impressively
mature interpretations while still only in her mid-twenties.
The amount of physical energy these works require is phenomenal,
but she always seems to have the necessary power in reserve.
It is not all Second Piano Concerto type bombast and her performance
also contains moments of real delicacy. One problem about Brahms'
piano writing, and it is something he never really solved, is
the conflict between dense chord voicing and lyrical melodic
lines in his quieter movements. Grimaud's approach usually involves
exaggerating the legato in order to let those dense harmonies
flow into each other.

The audio quality is acceptable but it shows its age. All the
detail is there, but there are a number of occasions where the
sound quality is quite flat and uninvolving - a real shame given
the quality of the performances. The bass end of the piano is
also poorly represented in the mix. I don't think that is Grimaud's
fault; you always get the impression that she is working those
thundering bass lines for all they are worth, but also that
it is happening at some distance from the listener.

If I've a major grumble about this release, it is the packaging.
As I say, there is no information given about the date or location
of the recordings, nor of the engineers or label involved in
making it. And to release a recording of Hélène Grimaud without
a photograph of her handsome features on the cover is surely
a wasted marketing opportunity. Still, we are in the realm of
super-budget reissues here, so it is probably as well to concentrate
on the content and not worry too much about the lack of frills.

In sum, then, a valuable addition to anybody's Brahms collection.
These early works demonstrate one of the most remarkable facets
of his work; that despite being hugely prodigious, every single
thing he wrote is of a high technical and artistic standard,
even in his earliest years. And, while speculation is required
about the exact date of the recording, it also demonstrates
that the same is true of the pianist, one of the great Brahms
interpreters of our time. Gavin Dixon

Review
IndexesBy
Label Select a label and
all reviews are listed in Catalogue orderBy
MasterworkLinks
from composer names (eg Sibelius) are to resource pages with links to
the review
indexes for the individual works as well as other resources.

Reviews
from previous monthsJoin the mailing list and receive a hyperlinked weekly update on the
discs reviewed. detailsWe welcome feedback on our reviews. Please use the Bulletin
Board
Please paste in the first line of your comments the URL of the review to
which you refer.